Mega #02 Baja Blood Read Online Free PDF Page A

subs were prepped for departure as the three pilots shimmied their way into a sub each. Three techs hopped onto Wave Runners and pushed the subs out of the marine hangar until they had enough room to turn them around and pointed out to sea.
    “Is there a lounge?” Espanoza asked as the subs submerged and were lost from sight. “I would like to sit down and enjoy refreshment while we wait.”
    Dr. Morganton looked at McCarthy, but he only shrugged and waved his hand to a side door in the bay.
    “Yeah, there’s an office here where we have the monitoring equipment set up,” McCarthy said. “It’s probably not as comfortable as you are used to, but there’re folding chairs for everyone.” He looked at the men with the sub-machine guns. “Well, almost everyone.”
    “They’ll wait out here,” Espanoza responded, nodding to Diego. “It will only be my associate and I.” Espanoza tapped his temple. “I’d hate for too much information to get free.”
    “Right, of course,” McCarthy nodded. “Follow me.”
    Dr. Morganton watched the men closely, her hand in her pocket as she frantically typed blindly at her phone.
     
    ***
     
    The cockpit of the sub barely allowed John to shift his shoulders from side to side without nailing them on one of several control panels. There was some room when he backed away from the main controls, but not much. Like many subs, the controls were old school analog- switches and toggles, dials and levers. Except for the bank of video monitors that covered the entire front of the cockpit and wrapped around slightly for a “peripheral” view.
    “Are you reading me, Dr. Morganton?” John asked through the headset he wore. “Am I coming through?”
    “Loud and clear, Mr. Sherman,” Dr. Morganton replied.
    “I’m here too, John,” McCarthy said. “Just maintain your heading like before. You’ll follow the same route until you get across the maritime boundary and into US territorial waters. At that point you’ll be given new coordinates.”
    “Looking forward to it,” John responded.
    “I am sure you are, Mr. Sherman,” Espanoza said.
    “Get that ass off the com,” John replied. “I don’t need him in my ear.”
    “Don’t worry about it, John,” McCarthy said. “We’ll be losing contact in just a few minutes once you hit cruising depth.”
    “Thank God for small favors,” John said.
    “What’s this?” Espanoza asked. “Lose contact? The subs are supposed to have state of the art communications systems.”
    “That is part of what still needs to be worked on,” McCarthy replied. “They can speak to each other, and even if the Coast Guard is listening it will be encoded and sound like whale song.”
    “Yes, that is what you had told me,” Espanoza growled. “But there will need to be communication with the subs once they are in US waters.”
    “They’ll surface and then communication will be restored,” McCarthy said. “We just won’t be able to communicate with them until then. It’s temporary for now, I assure you, Mr. Espanoza.”
    “Do you two mind?” John snapped. “We need to concentrate on piloting these things. Can you bicker off com?”
    “Careful with your tone, Mr. Sherman,” Espanoza warned.
    John just sighed and focused on driving the sub.
    The subs continued their progress through the warm waters just south of Salsipuedes Bay. The coastline was a barren stretch, unmarred by tourist villages and condos, which made it ideal for launching three covert submersibles. Changing his heading to north by northwest, John led the other two subs out away from the coast and into deeper waters.
    He checked his sonar readings and once in the correct position, began to dive deeper until he was at 500 feet and following along the San Benito fault. The occasional chatter from Dr. Morganton and McCarthy died away until nothing but static was left. John waited for several minutes before radioing the other pilots.
    “We clear?” John asked.
    “I think